Day 10: Montepulciano

It was a much slower day today. The girls still aren't feeling better sadly.  The men had an early outing to the farmacia to get some more bandages for Sandra's arms and stopped for a quick coffee and croissant. 4 euro for 3 coffees and 1 croissant.  Rick was most pleased.  We headed back into town mid morning in search of the oldest cellar in Italy apparently.  It was at the top of Montepulciano, the town we had explored yesterday but somehow managed to miss the main piazza.  Back up the 1.5 km steep incline to the top.  It was hot and slow, but well worth the effort for the view once we got there.  The piazza was small and lovely, made all the more romantic by the sounds of a piano and a violin playing out of separate windows in the school of music adjacent to the piazza.  Divine.  The four main buildings surrounding it were grand and the well was a lovely place to sit and seek some shade.  There is a classical music concert on tonight as part of a music festival this month.  I searched for the ticket office but it all just seemed too hard and I couldn't find anyone to help, so I reluctantly let it go.  The wine cellar was just around the corner.  It was interesting and impressive, but not the oldest in Italy after all.  I think it was used as a torture chamber or tomb once which made it all too eerie for me.  Everyone was getting hungry and we decided to part ways.  The Garbins stopped for lunch.  We grabbed some rolls and headed back to the car for some more sight seeing.  We quickly stumbled upon a gorgeous church on the outskirts of town.  We lit some candles and appreciated the decorations for a wedding that must be held there later today.  How gorgeous, it was most romantic.  Back in the car for a tour of the rolling hills and they didn't disappoint.  We missed a turn and ended up back tracking through dirt roads amongst the farms.  It was just as I have always imagined.  We landed in Montichello and it was boiling hot.  I had hoped to explore more but after a short walk up a step incline, the kids started complaining and we decided to stop for another gelato, beer and a glass of vino.  Life is good.  It would be better if it was 10 degrees cooler.  We headed home and hit the pool.  Everyone joined us and we indulged on cheese and wine.  The boys played a game of table soccer.  The young boys teamed up with Nonno T and won.  They were delighted.  We went for a walk through the farm to the vegie patch and saw chickens, geese, artichokes, zucchini flowers, tomatoes, eggplants and capsicums. We passed a fig tree full of beautiful unripe figs that will be amazing in a few weeks time.  There were tiny olives all over the olive trees and sangiovese grapes growing on the vines.  It was perfection and I felt very blessed to be sitting here watching the Tuscan sun set over another special day in God's country.  Off to Sienna in the morning.